Improvement in riding-saddles



J'. T. GATHRIGHT 8a J. C. WATSON.

RIDING-SADDLE.

No. 183,153. Patented 0ct.10. 1876.

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Y JAMES R OSGOOL S C? ENE iCN i NITED STATES PATENT @Enron JOHN T. GATHRIGHT AND JAMES C. WATSON, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY; SAID WATSON ASSIGNOR TO SAID GATHRIGHT.

IMPROVEMENT IN RIDING-SADDLES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,153, dated October 10, 1876; application tiled August 18, 1876.

To all lwhom Ait may concern,

Be it known that we, J oHN T. GATHRIGHT and JAMES O. WATSON, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Riding- Saddle and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part ot this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side View; Fig. 2, a top view Fig. 3, the cantle, and Fig. 4 a cross-section at the points a a.

The object of our invention is to form a more perfect seat for the rider without adding either weight or expense to the cost ot' the saddle, by making the cantle of the tree and the thigh-puffs on the skirts form a continuous concave or hollow seat, extending well down on the leg ofthe rider.

The-invention consists in the particular construction and arrangement of a thigh-support, extended from the raised edge of the eantle and attached below to the skirt, as hereinafter more fully described.

The cantle A is so constructed that where itjoins the bars b b, as shown by the lines b1 b2 b1 b2, it forms a curve or hollow on each side, iitting the shape ot' the rider, the points of the eantle a a being left much higher, as shown in Fig. 4, than the ordinary tree. The skirt D is put on in the usual way, by either nailing to the top or bottom of the bars b b, and the back leather piece covering the back of the cantle is cut larger than the cantle, as shown at E, tapering to a point at e. After being closely fitted to the cantle behind it is curved around, and the point e brought to the edge of the skirt D, the piece E being securely fastened to the skirt D at the curve-line e b1, and it also forms a continuation of the outer rim or edge of the cantle, as shown by the curve-1ine e a', Figs. l and 2, thereby forming with its upper surface a hollow support for the leg of the rider. The piece E, after being secured to the cantle and skirt D, is thickened up from the end of the cantle, as shown bythe line a b1, to the point e, to make it more substantial, but not enough to make it rigid, but is left liexible, to allow free use ot' the skirt D in fastening or unt'astening the saddle on the horse. The seat of the saddle is made in the usual way, but made to extend down over the piece E, and is well secured to it and the skirt D, thereby preventing a break or unevenness at a b; or the seat may extend no farther than a b1, and the piece E bc left self-supporting at the end ofthe cantle a b1. It is only necessary to use one or two thicknesses of skirting-leather or sole-leather to make the piece E from the line a' I)I to e sufficiently stout, and does not require the usual stuffing with hair, as ordinary thighpuffs do.

We are aware that saddles have been made with what are called thigh-puffs, which are constructed in various ways, and upon any of the ordinary kind of mens saddles, and that a prolonged oantle has been formed by molding the leather and stut'ling it after the manner of the thigh-puffs; but these were not constructed like the thigh-support E, nor did they aiord the desired support, and We therefore disclaim the same.

It is obvious that the thigh-support, as hereinbefore described, can be applied to any form of tree or saddle.

Having thus` described our invention, what We claim as new is- The combination, with the skirt and cantle of a saddle, of the thigh-support E, extended from the cantle, and attached to the skirt, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN T. GAIHRIGH'I. JAMES C. WATSON. Witnesses:

A. J. PULLIAM, J. B. DUNLAP. 

